Traditionally borders were understood as barriers. In last few years we observe many new meanings of borders. One of them is new idea of borders as a resource. The project focuses on the production of heritage and tourist attraction related on Polish borders actual and former (relict borders).The research questions are defined as follows:(1) How are the border resources created and utilized for heritage and tourism development in the Polish border areas?(2) Which scalar dimensions of border resources, heritage and spatial identity are manifested at the tourist sites at will use to creation of tourism products(3) Where and why are borders a basis for tourism development? Which spatial form they create? (accidentally, as a single place of memory, line of memory, two sites cooperating between them, network of cooperation, region)? Are they function as growth pole for local or regional development?(4) How does the mobilization of different Actors on using border resources to tourism product creation safeguard or undermine the integrated approach in tourism development of border adjacent areas?(5) How and where borders are transformed into tourism products, which elements are used and how they function in reality, perception and virtual space (digital place)?

Knowledge conversion for enhancing management of European riparian ecosystems and services

Program:

COST

Project leader:

Ing. Kidová Anna PhD.

Annotation:

Riparian ecosystems comprise the physical environment and biological communities that lay at the interface of freshwater and terrestrial systems. They are recognised as ecosystems that are highly diverse and contain specialist ecological communities, as well as providers of multiple ecosystem services. Recognizing of the importance of riparian ecosystems has resulted in much research within Europe. Despite this body of work and policy motivation, progress in improving the state of riparian ecosystems across Europe has been very limited. This is probably because of a misalignment of ‘frames’ (i.e. the ways in which individuals or organisations with different backgrounds, geographical origin, cultural contexts, or purpose, know and conceive of such complex systems). Specific issues related to the misalignment of frames between stakeholders in riparian research and management are the following ones: (i) the wide geographical dispersion and heterogeneity of current knowledge across EU Member States; (ii) a lack of effective communication and sharing of knowledge among scientists from different disciplines and from different countries; (iii) insufficient and problematic knowledge conversion and experiences from academics to managers/practitioners; (iv) a lack of suitable assessment tools that allow comparability between fluvial systems; (v) insufficient momentum behind the body of research to create effective coordinated action or policy creation at the level needed.